Game for teaching fundamental aspects of network marketing

ABSTRACT

A board game used to teach players about the fundamental aspects of network marketing. The game includes a game board having tiles corresponding to various networking principle cards that teach basics on prospecting, personal development, downline development and the inevitable challenges. The prospecting and personal development cards allow the players or teams of players to add prospects and personal development (PD) points, which leads to obtaining associates and customers. The downline development cards lead to the downline team obtaining customers and associates. The accumulation of associates and customers, directly and downline, provides entrepreneurial income. Entrepreneurial income, plus job income assigned at the beginning of the game, less an assigned expense, equals net income. The object of the game is to grow entrepreneurial income through learning networking principles that vastly exceeds job income in order to achieve a stated goal or dream having a lofty price tag.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to games. In particular, thepresent invention relates to games for the purpose of teachingfundamental aspects of network marketing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Network marketing, or sometimes called “multi-level marketing,” has beenphenomenally successful for many entrepreneurs over the last 20-30years. Network marketing involves individuals or small teams approachingprospects with the goal of getting those prospects to join their “team”as associates or participate as customers (“prospecting”); personaldevelopment allowing the individuals or small teams the opportunity todevelop personal and business skills to grow a successful business;assisting and empowering associates in the individual's or small team'slineal organizational tree in order to recruit more associates andcustomers (“downline development”); and teaching the ability to overcomechallenges or obstacles.

Unlike traditional employment where an employee is typically paid a“linear income,” that is “trading hours for income,” network marketingincome is the total of entrepreneurial income generated both by personalsales of the individual's or small team's networking organization'sproducts or services, as well as the revenue generated by the linealteam (downline associates) through its efforts in sales and recruitingnew associates. Thus, it is possible that a network marketingprofessional can stop selling the organization's services and productsand still receive entrepreneurial income from downstream associates'efforts. For successful network marketing entrepreneurs, thisentrepreneurial income can be tens of thousands of dollars to hundredsof thousands of dollars per year (or more).

In many cases, individuals are attracted to network marketing while theycontinue their regular employment (their “day job”) in the attempt tomake more money for the payment of large expenditures, (e.g., collegetuition, boats, family vacations, a more comfortable retirement). Someindividuals are so successful in network marketing that the generatedentrepreneurial income far exceeds the individual's income at his/herregular place of employment. At such time that entrepreneurial incomemeets and exceeds an individual's expenses, an individual will oftenleave his/her regular employment as network marketing offers muchfreedom from the trappings of regular employment, namely, the ability toset one's own hours, working from home, and working as much or as littleas needed to secure the income the individual desires. Because ofnetwork marketing's inherent flexibility, network marketing is alsoparticularly attractive for homemakers and retirees. One does not needan income source to begin network marketing (presuming that one'sexpenses are met by savings or another income producer in the family).

This heightened popularity of network marketing and the opportunity forfinancial success have resulted in many individuals joining variousnetwork marketing organizations. However, such individuals require abasic understanding of principles of network marketing. One way toaccomplish this is through training that is both educational andentertaining, namely, through playing a board game. Although many boardgames are known for teaching general principles related to financialmatters, (e.g., Kiyosaki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,878, granted Oct.27, 1998, and entitled “Apparatus and Method of Playing a Board Game forTeaching Fundamental Aspects of Personal Finance, Investing andAccounting;” Kiyosaki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,957, granted Mar. 7,2000, and entitled “Board Game for Teaching Fundamental Aspects ofPersonal Finance, Investing and Accounting;” Kiyosaki et al., U.S. Pat.No. 6,106,300, granted Aug. 22, 2000, and entitled “Game for TeachingFundamental Aspects of Personal Finance, Investing and Accounting toChildren;” Campbell, U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,135, granted Dec. 10, 1991, andentitled “Board Game Apparatus for the Teaching of Financial ManagementPrinciples;” and Kim, U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,691, granted Aug. 3, 2004, andentitled “Apparatus for Financial Investment Education andEntertainment”), none are known that teach basic principles of networkmarketing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method of playing a networkmarketing game for entertainment and for building a better understandingof key principles related to network marketing, namely, prospecting,personal development, downline development, and overcoming inevitablechallenges, all while on the path of increasing entrepreneurial incomeas a means of increasing net income, and ergo total monetaryaccumulation, to achieve a predefined destination goal or dream.

The game is played between two or more players or teams in which eachplayer or team is assigned a job with a pre-assigned initialentrepreneurial income, job income, expenses, and intial net income.Each player or team is also assigned or chooses a destination goalhaving a price that is significantly greater than the player's or team'sassigned net income. In this way, each player or team will need tobetter grasp the fundamental principles of prospecting (attractingprospects that can develop into associates or customers), personaldevelopment (improvement of skills, knowledge, talent, and abilities toattain personal development or “PD” points), downline development(motivate, educate, and empower your team of associates to obtain newcustomers and recruit new associates), all the while overcomingchallenges that can have negative ramifications (e.g., loss ofprospects, customers, associates, PD points, or a turn).

Each player or team chooses a playing piece in which to move about agame board having substantially consecutive networking tiles. Thenetworking tiles correspond to prospecting cards, personal developmentcards, downline development cards, and challenge cards, all of whichinclude an aspect of the networking principles that the game intends toimpart to the players. Taking turns, each player or team uses a randommove indicator, such as a die or dice, to move about the game board.Upon landing on a tile, the player or team reads a card corresponding tothe tile and accounts for it on the player's or team's networkingworksheet.

The game is played until one player or team has accumulated sufficienttotal monetary accumulation (i.e., sum of money) to be able to achievethe player's or team's destination goal or some pre-determined dollaramount (e.g., $1,000,000 of entrepreneurial income).

Variations to the game are encompassed by the invention and may includevarying levels of competency as the players/teams become more skilled innetwork marketing. The levels may be set by a minimum attainedentrepreneurial income. Once the entrepreneurial income of one level isattained for a particular player or team, the game may provide that theplayer or team cannot drop below that attained level. Upon reaching thehighest level, the calculation factor for entrepreneurial incomeincreases, e.g., by a factor of 10, representing that the player or teamhas successfully mastered creating a team of downstream associates andcustomers that magnifies the income of the (upline) player or team. Atthis rate, the entrepreneurial income far exceeds the original jobincome and the net income (entrepreneurial income plus job income, lessexpenses) grows and the destination goal is within easy reach.

At the highest level, the personal development tiles may be converted todestination tiles that correlate to a plurality of destination cards.When the player or team lands on a destination tile and draws its owndestination goal, and has sufficient net income to pay for the cost ofthe destination goal, that player or team is declared the winner. In avariation of the game, each time a player or team lands on and receivesanother's destination goal, the player or team drawing the card has itsown destination goal cost cut in half.

Payday tiles may be interspersed among the networking tiles and eachtime a player or team passes or lands on a payday tile, the player orteam is given either its net income or, alternatively, its job income.

These and other variations and advantages will be discussed and willbecome more apparent upon review of the drawings, the Best Mode forCarrying Out the Invention, and the Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Like reference numerals are used to designate like parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the network marketing game of thepresent invention including a game board, playing pieces, die or dice,job description cards, destination cards, prospecting cards, personaldevelopment cards, downline development cards, challenge cards,networking worksheet, and optional play money;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a board layout for playing the networkmarketing game of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an alternate board layout;

FIGS. 4A-4K are exemplar front views of faces of job description cards;

FIGS. 5A-5P are exemplar front views of faces of destination cards;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a blank networking worksheet;

FIGS. 7A-7U are exemplar front views of faces of prospecting cards;

FIGS. 8A-8O are exemplar front views of faces of personal developmentcards;

FIGS. 9A-9Z are exemplar front views of faces of downline developmentcards;

FIGS. 10A-10T are exemplar front views of faces of challenge cards; and

FIG. 11 is a front view of an exemplar filled out networking worksheet.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a game that teaches fundamentalprinciples of network marketing. The game teaches players networkmarketing principles generally related to prospecting, personaldevelopment, downline development, and the challenges that come fromthose principles, all while amassing sufficient money (or total monetaryaccumulation) to attain a pre-set goal or dream. The game presumes thatthe players start out with a “day job,” which the players may choose tokeep or abandon in the pursuit of amassing the money that will allow theplayer to realize its pre-set goal or dream.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, the game 10 for two or more players or teams(not illustrated) includes a game board 12 that includes a plurality ofsubstantially consecutive tiles, squares, or spaces 14 in which there isa starting tile 16 and a means 18 to move about the tiles from thestarting tile 16, playing pieces 20 (one per player or team), optionalplay money 22, and network marketing principle card categories 24 thatcorrespond to select network marketing principle tiles (or networkingtiles) 26 on the board. In addition to the start tile 16 and networkprinciple tiles 26, there are destination tiles 28 that correspond todestination cards 30, discussed in further detail below.

The particular layout of the tiles is not as critical of an aspect ofthe invention. There are numerous ways to lay out the networking tiles.In addition to the layout in FIG. 2, one example of an alternate gameboard layout is illustrated in FIG. 3. In this example, one of thenetworking tiles may convert to a destination card 28′ (as illustratedby emblem 31 upon reaching an optional level of entrepreneurial income(or “pin level”), discussed further below. Both destination tiles 28,28′ correspond to destination cards 30.

The marketing principle card categories include prospecting 32, personaldevelopment 34, downline development 36, and also include the inevitablechallenges 38. Each of these marketing principle card categoriescorrespond to networking tiles 26 on board 14. For example, theprospecting cards 32 correspond to prospecting tiles 40, personaldevelopment cards 34 correspond to personal development tiles 42,downline development cards 36 correspond to downline development tiles44, and challenge cards 38 correspond to challenge tiles 46.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4K, prior to beginning the game, each playeror team chooses or is otherwise assigned a profession or job 50 (a “dayjob”) that carries a specified income 52 and expenses 54 in which thedifference between the income per pay period and expenses per pay periodequals an (initial) net income 56 each player/team would receive on“payday.” Net income 56 will be discussed further in detail below.

In one example, the assignment of a profession or job is accomplishedthrough the random dealing of job cards 48, one job card per player orteam. The job cards can vary in terms of professions 50, income 52,expenses 54, and (initial) net income 56. Examples of assignedprofessions include doctor (FIG. 4A), engineer (FIG. 4G), officeassistant (FIG. 4F), and janitor (FIG. 4H), with net income (per payperiod) of $900, $700, $200, and $100, respectively. The game can beplayed with a profession/job having an intial net income of zero, e.g.,homemaker (FIG. 4K). According to one aspect of the present invention,and as illustrated, each profession is assigned zero entrepreneurialincome 58. It is one of the objectives of the game to teach players howto build entrepreneurial income. Although the invention encompassesvarying initial entrepreneurial income, it is preferred to start with noor little entrepreneurial income.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A-5P, each player or team also chooses or isassigned a destination card 30. The destination card 30 defines theultimate goal 59 or dream that the player/team is to aspire. By way ofexample, one destination goal might be “attending a game at all of themajor baseball parks in America and traveling to each park by privatejet for a goal cost of $1,500,000,” as illustrated in FIG. 5A. Anotherexample of a goal might be “flying first class to Paris for lunch and amajor shopping spree for two at a cost of $1,300,000,” as illustrated inFIG. 5G.

The game will be made more exciting by having a sufficiently largenumber of destination cards. A larger number of destination cards withdifferent goals will necessarily reduce the odds of a player landing ona destination card tile and selecting the card that corresponds to itspre-assigned destination goal (and will be discussed further below). Inone example, there are 10-20 destination cards. Although thedestinations cards are illustrated as being unique, and according to onefeature of the game where each player/team has a unique destination, theinvention encompasses the example where there are few variations of thedestination card or all of the destination cards are the same (that isevery player/team is attempting to achieve the same goal). Also, theinvention encompasses the example where all destination card goals arepriced at the same dollar level, as opposed to varying destination goalcosts.

The destination cards have significant dollar costs over that of the netincome assigned to each player/team, e.g., the destination goal cost maybe 1000+times the cost of the net income. However, the game playingperiod could be shortened by decreasing the destination goal/incomeratio by a factor of 10 or 100 or, conversely, lengthened for seriousplay by increasing the destination goal/income ratio by a factor of 10or 100.

Each player/team is given a networking worksheet 60, such as thatillustrated in FIG. 6. Each player/team writes down its destinationgoal/dream 59 listed on its assigned or chosen destination card 30. Eachplayer/team also writes down its profession/job 50 from its assigned orchosen job cards 48. Each player/team will know its (initial) net income56 from its job card. Similarly, each player/team will know what is itsassigned job income 52 and expenses 54.

These numbers may be written down in respective columns on thenetworking worksheet 60. The columns (rows or spaces) include a columnfor listing the number of acquired personal development (or “PD”) points62, a column for listing number of acquired prospects 64, a column forlisting the number of acquired number of customers 66, a column forlisting the number of acquired associates 68, a column forentrepreneurial income 70 (e.g., initially the entrepreneurial income 58assigned from job card 48), a column for job income 72 (the job income52 assigned from job card 48), a column for expenses 74 (e.g., theexpenses 54 assigned from job card 48), and a column for net income 76(initially the net income 56 assigned from job card 48 and will vary asthe game is played).

Each team/player may be given a pre-assigned amount of prospects 61(attained through approaching individuals, showing them the value ofbecoming a customer or associate, with the goal of enrolling them intothe organization) and PD points 63 (points assigned in the game toreflect the acquisition of discipline, motivation, knowledge, andtalents in order to run an effective business). The number of PD points63 and prospects 61 directly impact the number of customers 65 andassociates 67 (discussed further below). In one example, eachplayer/team is initially given 100 prospects and 10 PD points that wouldbe assigned to columns 62 and 64, respectively. The 100 prospectsrepresent the typical list of people created by good network marketerswhen they start their business. The 10 PD points represent existingskills, knowledge, and talents that each player/team initially offers toits business.

FIGS. 7A-7U are illustrative of prospecting cards 32. In networkmarketing, prospecting is a way of gaining new promising contacts, orprospects, and the skill of turning them into customers and associates(people added to the participant's network marketing team). Theprospecting cards illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7U are designed to allow aplayer/team to increase its number of prospects 61 and associates andcustomers in correlation with acquired PD points 63. In one example, theprospects are given by relatively simple tasks, such as receiving 100new prospects for naming as many people as possible in each city theplayer has lived, as illustrated in FIG. 7I. In another example, theprospecting card may allow the player/team to enroll a percentage ormultiple of PD points into new associates 67, such as illustrated inFIG. 7S: “You learn how to do an effective close. You go through 10prospects & enroll 1/10 the # of your PD points in new associates (up to10).” The number of prospecting cards can be relatively small (e.g., 10)or numerous (e.g., 80). Many more cards can be added which allow aplayer/team to gain prospects, but are not illustrated herein.

FIGS. 8A-8O are illustrative of personal development cards 34. Innetwork marketing, personal development allows the participant to gainknowledge and skill related to marketing and business strategies (e.g.,professional growth). The personal development cards 34 illustrated inFIGS. 8A-8O are designed to allow a player/team to increase the numberof PD points 63 through professional growth (e.g., discipline,motivation, knowledge, and talents). In some examples, PD points areeasily attained, e.g., an award of 5 PD points for going over the basicideas of a network marketing company's “starter kit,” as illustrated inFIG. 8J. In other examples, the PD points come with an investment cost,such as those illustrated in FIG. 8G: attending a company's quarterlyevent and learning a new approach script that the participant iscomfortable with and receiving 2 PD by paying $200. According to anotheraspect of the invention, PD points may or may not be given based onattaining a particular level of entrepreneurial income (discussedfurther below), such as illustrated in FIGS. 8B and 8C. Similar toprospecting cards, the illustrated versions are merely that, and theinvention is not to be limited by the number or content of the specificpersonal development cards illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8O.

Because there is a correlation between the number of prospects inconnection with PD points that results in attaining associates andcustomers (depending on the prospecting cards, such as illustrated inFIG. 7S of FIG. 7T), attaining PD points and prospects is a desired goalin order to ultimately attain associates and customers (as with realnetwork marketing). As will be discussed below, the number of associatesimpacts the amount of entrepreneurial income the participant(player/team) can attain.

FIGS. 9A-9Z are illustrative of downline development cards 36. Innetwork marketing, downline development comprises assisting thoseassociates in your team to recruit more associates and customers of theproducts and/or services sold or provided in network marketing. Becausenew customers and associates impact bottom line entrepreneurial income,both are highly sought after.

The downline development cards 36 are illustrative of sales techniquesthat the participant (player/team) can teach its team (its associates)to generate entrepreneurial income for each associate, as well as theupline participant (or just upline). For example the downlinedevelopment card illustrated in FIG. 9C states, “During a training call,you teach your team how to introduce your product/service to potentialcustomers. Your team adds 1 customer for every 5 associates you havenow.” As another example, FIG. 9M states, “You hear of a localmotivation seminar and encourage your team to attend. Your team grows by1 associate for every 2 you have now.” In this way, the participant isgaining customers and associates at a rapid rate, often as a function ofthe number of associates accrued or as an investment cost (such asillustrated in FIG. 9G). Similar to the prospecting and personaldevelopment cards discussed above, the illustrations of FIGS. 9A-9Z areexamples only and are not to be limited to the number or content showntherein.

Typical of real life, and particularly of network marketing, challengesare ever present that cause slight or significant setbacks in attainingthe desired goal but often allow the participant to reevaluate andattempt to move forward. The challenge cards 38 illustrated in FIGS.10A-10T are designed to provide temporary setbacks to the players/teamsand make the game more interesting. For example, one card might make theplayer/team lose 5 PD points and 1 turn at play (discussed below)because the player/team had slow results in its business and decided toblame its upline, as illustrated in FIG. 10C. Another illustratedchallenge tells the downside of not going to the network marketingcompany's convention by losing 15 PD points, as seen in FIG. 10B. Thechallenge cards are intended to convey a typical “wrong turn” theparticipant makes in network marketing and how that wrong turn cannegatively impact him/her/them. Similar to the other cards, theillustrated challenge cards are not intended to be limited to a specificnumber or content only as shown.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-3, to begin the game, each player/team may begiven play money 22 (or an accounting) representing one net incomeaccording to its profession listed on the player's/team's job card 48.Each player/team selects a playing piece 20 and places it on the starttile 16. After each team/player has been assigned or otherwise chosen adestination goal 59 on a destination card 30, all of the destinationcards 30 are shuffled and put in a pile face down on the playing board.The personal development 34, prospecting, 32 downline development 36,and challenge 38 cards are shuffled and placed in a pile face down onthe board as well.

The game is played by each player/team taking turns using means 18 tomove its marker about the tiles. The means can be any random indicatorthat corresponds to a number, number of tiles, or color, or shape orobject (or combination thereof) on the board tiles. In one example, adie or multiple dice (as illustrated) may be used. Alternatively, aspinner, or color or shape-coded die, block, or polygonal shape may beused. The players may accord a number or color or shape as paramount fordetermining which player or team would go first by throwing a die/diceor spinning on a number or color, or rolling such a color (or closestthereto). Once that is decided, the first player/team rolls the die/diceor other random indicator and moves the playing piece forward the numberof spaces indicated on the die/dice or to the corresponding color orshape. As each tile is preferably associated with a networking card(prospecting, professional development, downline development, challenge)or “payday” 77 (in which the player/team is given its net income 56 ofentrepreneurial income 58 plus job income 52 less expenses 54), theplayer/team either picks up the card corresponding to the tile it landedon or receives its net income for landing on or passing payday 77. Ifthe player/team lands on a networking card, the player/team picks up thetop card off the corresponding stack, reads the learning statementattached to the card, and is either assigned the benefit or allowed toobtain the benefit of a condition if met (e.g., x number of PD pointsneeded to obtain new associates), or lose a benefit from a challengecard. The gain or loss or receipt of net income is transferred to theplayer's/team's networking worksheet 60.

Once the player lands on a particular tile, the player/team picks up thecategory card 24 that corresponds to the tile that the player/team haslanded on. For example, if the player/team lands on a prospecting tile,the player/team picks up and reads the top prospecting card in the stackon the board, or if on a personal development tile, the player/teampicks up and reads the top personal development card of the stack on theboard. The player/team reads the card and follows the instructions onthe card and transfers the data to its networking worksheet 60.

According to one aspect of the invention, entrepreneurial income iscalculated by multiplying by 50 the sum of the number of associates thatplayer/team has accumulated plus ½ the number of customers. Thenetworking sheet 60 may add a column 78 to calculate ½ of the number ofcustomers 65 (from column 66) adjacent the number of associates 67 (fromcolumn 68) to more easily calculate the changing entrepreneurial income58 (from column 70). The calculation formula 80 may be printed onto thenetworking worksheet 60. In play, each player or team may round up tothe nearest integer during calculating in order to avoid the complexityof dealing with fractions. Alternatively, the game may be played whereround-ups are to the nearest multiples of 5 or 10. As stated above, thesum of the entrepreneurial income and job income, less expenses, equalsnet income. Net income will vary—nearly on every roll of the die ordice.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, with increased netincome, the player or team may progress through varying levels (pinlevels) 81 that are tied to consecutively higher entrepreneurial income.In one example there are 10 levels in which the player or teamprogresses. The 10th (highest level) is the destination level, at whichthe second or destination phase of play begins. According to one aspect,once a player or team reaches a particular level, it cannot drop belowthat level.

Once a player or team has reached its destination level, the calculationof entrepreneurial income is increased by a factor of 10 (e.g.,multiplying by 500 the sum of the number of associates plus ½ of thenumber of customers as enumerated at 82 in FIG. 6). At this level, theplayer or team has amassed an impressive number of associate andcustomers. It also has increased its expenses to $10,000, but theopportunity to reach the destination goal is now within reach for adestination player or team.

According to one variation, all personal development tiles 26 areconverted to destination tiles 28′ (such as better illustrated in FIG. 3by the emblem 31) for a player or team that has achieved the destinationlevel. At that phase, every time the player or team land on a (newlyconverted) destination tile, the player/team draws the top card from thedestination card pile. If the destination card is the player's/team'sown destination goal and the player/team has amassed a sufficient sum ofmoney to purchase the destination goal, the game is over and thatplayer/team is declared the winner. If the player/team draws anotherplayer's/team's destination card, the drawing player's/team'sdestination goal price is cut in half. Each time a player/teamaccumulates other player's/team's destination cards, its own destinationgoal price is cut in half. In the example of a destination goal having acost of $1,500,000 (as illustrated in FIG. 5A), a player/team competingin the destination phase and holding two other player's/team'sdestination cards reduces its destination goal cost to $375,000. It iseasy to understand that the end of the game could come quickly once aplayer/team has reached the destination phase.

According to another aspect of the game, upon reaching upper levels,e.g., level 7 or above, the player or team can opt to play with twodice, as opposed the single die. This new benefit can be valuable oncards to which the number of prospects, associates, or customers aredependent on the roll of the die (or dice if at a certain high level).The ability to choose between one or two dice may also be beneficial ifa player/team is trying to reach a payday tile for the distribution ofnet income or attempting to skip over a challenge tile.

According to yet another aspect, the player or team can choose to quitits “day job” and rely solely on its entrepreneurial income, as canhappen with highly successful network marketing professionals in reallife. In this variation, and at attaining an upper level, (e.g., a level9 or 10), the player or team can opt to play with one, two, or threedice (with benefits of a third die when drawing cards that havenetworking benefits tied to a roll of the die or dice based on theattained level or passing a payday tile more frequently or being able tobetter gauge skipping an undesirable tile). This aspect of a player/teamquitting its “day job” can be incorporated as a variation in theimmediately preceding paragraph in order for the player/team to have theoption to play with one or two dice at the upper levels.

The invention encompasses the game being incorporated into electronic orWeb-based form where the game board is part of the digital displayscreen. In this interactive version, the other player or team may be acomputer.

Advantages of the present invention include making the principles ofnetwork marketing entertaining, educational, and interactive. Theillustrated embodiments are only examples of the present invention and,therefore, are non-limitive. It is to be understood that many changes inthe particular structure, materials, and features of the invention maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Therefore, it is the Applicant's intention that its patent rights not belimited by the particular embodiments illustrated and described herein,but rather by the following claims interpreted according to accepteddoctrines of claim interpretation, including the Doctrine of Equivalentsand Reversal of Parts.

1-27. (canceled)
 28. A game for teaching network marketing skills toplayers, which simulate entrepreneurs in a network marketing company,the game comprising: a plurality of job cards, each job card including ajob with job income and expenses to be assigned to the player selectingthe job card, thereby setting an initial net income for each player; aplurality of destination cards, each destination card including adestination goal having an assigned cost to the player selecting thedestination card, the assigned cost being significantly higher than theinitial net income; a plurality of networking principle cards that teachbasic principles of network marketing by presenting a player withpotential real-life experiences in networking; a plurality of playingpieces; a game board having substantially consecutive tilescorresponding to the plurality of networking principle cards, whereinlanding on at least one tile with a playing piece results in a playerexperiencing a change in status of a player's network marketingbusiness, which affects an entrepreneurial income of the player; meansfor randomly indicating a number of tiles each player will move aplaying piece in a turn; and a worksheet to track the accumulation ofnet income of the player.
 29. The game of claim 28, wherein the changeof status includes receipt of at least one of a new associate and a newcustomer.
 30. The game of claim 29, wherein the networking principlecards include personal development cards, which provide players withpersonal development points, which are accumulated.
 31. The game ofclaim 30, wherein the player provided personal development points incursan investment expense.
 32. The game of claim 30, wherein the networkingprinciple cards include prospecting cards, which provide players with aplurality of new prospects, which are accumulated.
 33. The game of claim32, wherein the player provided new prospects incurs an investmentexpense.
 34. The game of claim 32, wherein the number of prospectsprovided to the player is dictated by the player's accumulatedprofessional development points.
 35. The game of claim 32, wherein asubset of the prospecting cards include means to enroll associates andcustomers while incurring a reduction of accumulated prospects.
 36. Thegame of claim 35, wherein the networking principle cards includedownline development cards, which reward the player with additionalassociates and customers for using sales and recruiting techniques,wherein the use of sales and recruiting techniques incurs an investmentexpense.
 37. The game of claim 36, wherein the networking principlecards include challenge cards, which result in a business setback, thesetback affecting the entrepreneurial income of the player.
 38. The gameof claim 37, wherein at least one tile on the game board is a pay day,wherein the player who lands on or passes the pay day is paid theplayer's net income.
 39. The game of claim 38, wherein net income isrecalculated at least when the player's accumulation of associates orcustomers changes, and when the player quits the assigned job of theplayer, thereby losing job income.
 40. The game of claim 39, wherein theentrepreneurial income of a player who has achieved a determined levelof entrepreneurial income is increased at least by a factor of ten. 41.The game of claim 29, wherein a subset of the plurality of networkingprinciple cards indicate that the change in status of the player'snetwork marketing business is dictated by the roll of at least one die.42. The game of claim 41, wherein if the player chooses to quit theplayer's assigned job, the player's entrepreneurial income dictates ifthe player is allowed to choose one, two, or three dice from which tochange the player's status.
 43. A method of teaching network marketingskills to players in a context of a game representing each player'shypothetical network marketing business, the method comprising:initially assigning to each player a job having an affiliated job incomeand expenses, thereby setting an initial net income for each player;providing to each player a destination goal having an assigned cost toobtain the destination goal; providing a plurality of networkingprinciple indicia, each causing a change in status to a player's networkmarketing business, the status including an accumulation of a plurality0 of customers and associates, which causes an entrepreneurial income ofeach player to change, and wherein the plurality of networking principleindicia include a plurality of pay days; providing means for trackingnumbers of associates and customers, and thus entrepreneurial income, ofeach player; playing the game in the following manner: randomlydesignating, in turn, the receipt by each player of a networkingprinciple indicia and affiliated change in status to each player'sbusiness; tracking the number of accumulated customers and associates ofeach player; recalculating entrepreneurial income based on at least theaccumulation of customers and associates of each player; paying a netincome due to each player as each player receives indicia of a pay day;and tracking accumulated levels of net and entrepreneurial incomes ofeach player until one player wins the game through the purchase of theplayer's destination goal.
 44. The method of claim 43, wherein thedestination goal is purchased with the accumulation of solely theplayer's entrepreneurial income.
 45. The method of claim 43, wherein thenetworking principle indicia include destination cards, the methodfurther comprising: each player initially selecting a first destinationcard to indicate each player's destination goal; a player selecting asecond destination card after the player reaches a determined level ofentrepreneurial income; and the player purchasing the destination goalif the first destination card is the second destination card and theplayer has sufficient accumulated net income to purchase the destinationgoal.
 46. The method of claim 45, wherein if the second destination cardindicates another player's destination goal, allowing the player topurchase the player's destination goal at a reduced cost when the playerlater selects the first destination card.
 47. The method of claim 43,wherein the entrepreneurial income is calculated by multiplying by apredetermined constant the sum of the number of associates and apercentage of the number of customers.
 48. The method of claim 47,wherein the entrepreneurial level of income has associated therewith apin level from a hierarchical plurality of pin levels, and wherein noplayer drops down to lower pin levels once a higher pin level isachieved.
 49. The method of claim 48, wherein upon achieving adetermined pin level, the entrepreneurial income of the player isfurther multiplied by at least ten.
 50. The method of claim 48, whereinrandomly designating to each player a networking principle indicia isthrough rolling at least one die and moving a game piece to a game boardtile representative of the networking principle indicia.
 51. the methodof claim 50, further comprising allowing a player in higher pin levelsto roll with more than one die.
 52. The method of claim 50, furthercomprising allowing a player to choose to leave the player's assignedjob once entrepreneurial income exceeds the player's assigned expenses.53. The method of claim 52, further comprising: allowing the player toroll only one die at the lower pin levels; allowing the player to rollone or two dice at designated upper pin levels if the player chose toleave the player's assigned job; and allowing the player to roll one,two, or three dice at designated highest pin levels if the player choseto leave the player's assigned job.
 54. The method of claim 53, whereinthe number of dice the player is allowed to roll also dictates the levelof status change resulting from the networking principle indiciareceived by the player.
 55. The method of claim 43, wherein thenetworking principle cards include personal development cards, whichprovide players with personal development points, which are accumulated.56. The method of claim 55, wherein the networking principle indiciainclude prospecting cards, which provide players with a plurality of newprospects, which are accumulated.
 57. The method of claim 56, whereinthe number of prospects provided to the player is dictated by theplayer's accumulated professional development points.
 58. The method ofclaim 56, wherein the prospecting cards include means to enrollassociates and customers while incurring a reduction of accumulatedprospects.
 59. The method of claim 58, wherein the networking principleindicia include downline development cards, which reward the player withadditional associates and customers for using sales and recruitingtechniques.
 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the networking principleindicia include challenge cards, which result in a business setback. 61.The method of claim 60, wherein the setback includes a loss of at leastone of personal development points, prospects, customers, associates,and a turn.
 62. A game for teaching network marketing skills to playersor teams of players, which simulate entrepreneurs in a network marketingcompany, the game comprising: means for assigning a job to each player,the job having an job income and expenses affiliated therewith, therebysetting an initial net income for each player; means for assigning adestination goal to each player, the destination goal having a costaffiliated therewith that is significantly higher than the initial netincome; means for randomly indicating one of a plurality of networkingprinciples to each player, in turn, which changes a status of eachplayer's simulated business through fluctuating gains and losses of aplurality of customers and associates, wherein an increase of customersand associates translates to an increase of entrepreneurial income;means for tracking a net income of each player; and means for indicatinga winner of the game based on at least a player's entrepreneurial incomewhen compared with the cost of the player's destination goal.